Impact for Women

What Impact for Women does

Impact for Women is a Melbourne-based, volunteer-run charitable nonprofit founded in 2006 by Kathy Kaplan OAM to provide material aid and emotional support to women and children escaping domestic violence in Victoria, Australia. The organization's core product is the Bags of Love program—carefully curated bags of new toiletries, essentials, comfort items, gifts, and personalised handwritten notes distributed to survivors in Victorian refuges, primarily at Mother's Day and Christmas. Each bag is anchored at a $225 donation unit price, with 5,000 bags delivered in the past 12 months and the operation supported by roughly 2,000 volunteers contributing approximately 6,000 hours annually across wrap-and-pack sessions and direct refuge delivery.

The business model is donation-driven across three streams: individual monetary donations (tax-deductible above $2 under ABN 17 159 728 753), in-kind gifts of physical items, and corporate sponsorship including workplace volunteering programs where businesses engage employees in bag assembly. There is no proprietary technology, AI capability, or digital product; logistics rely on an ImpactHOUSE van launched in 2022 and volunteer-operated wrap-and-pack events. Complementary programs include the Workplace Volunteering Program, Schools Program, Speakers Program, and ImpactFUL—a community well-being space for women with shared lived experience.

The organization operates with approximately 10 paid staff alongside a volunteer board (Chair Margot Hillel OAM, Treasurer Alan Samuel OAM JP, Secretary Lisa Lionnet-Swaan, and members Cameron Skews and Annette Sharp). Geographic reach is exclusively Victoria, Australia, and distribution is delivered directly to refuge partners. The organization does not provide crisis intervention itself and directs in-danger individuals to specialist agencies such as 1800RESPECT, Safe Steps, and The Orange Door. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed and the entity has no parent company, institutional investors, or M&A activity.

Name

Impact for Women

Legal name

Impact for Women

Website

https://impactforwomen.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Impact for Women is a Melbourne-based, volunteer-run nonprofit founded in 2006 that delivers curated Bags of Love—containing toiletries, essentials, comfort items, and handwritten notes—to women and children escaping domestic violence in Victorian refuges, supported by donations, in-kind gifts, and corporate sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Support Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Domestic violence support
• Community volunteering
• Charity donations
• Material aid services
• Women shelter assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Huntly

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate monetary donations supporting the Bags of Love program. Donations greater than $2 are tax-deductible (ABN: 17 159 728 753). Specific donation amount of $225 provides one Bag of Love.
2. In-Kind Gifts: Corporate and individual donations of physical items (toiletries, accessories, makeup, journals, puzzles, candles, etc.) that go directly into Bags of Love. Accepted items listed on website wish list.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Businesses can sponsor Impact or engage in workplace volunteering programs. Includes in-kind product donations and financial sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Impact for Women is a volunteer-run nonprofit charity that curates and distributes "Bags of Love" — bags containing new toiletries, hygiene products, makeup, accessories, journals, puzzles, candles, and personalised handwritten notes — to women and children escaping domestic violence in Victoria, Australia. Complementary programs include In-Kind Gifts donations, Workplace Volunteering, Schools Program, Speakers Program, and ImpactFUL community well-being initiatives.

Product overview

Impact for Women operates as a volunteer-run nonprofit charity offering a single primary product—the Bags of Love program—alongside complementary service modules including an In-Kind Gifts program for item donations, a Workplace Volunteering program for corporate groups, a Schools Program for student engagement, a Speakers Program for awareness presentations, and ImpactFUL, a community well-being space. The core Bags of Love product consists of carefully curated bags containing toiletries, essentials, comfort items, and handwritten notes distributed to women and children escaping domestic violence in Victoria. All offerings interconnect through the central mission of providing practical support and hope to victim-survivors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bags of Love: Carefully curated bags containing toiletries, essentials, comforting items, gifts and handwritten notes for women who have experienced domestic violence.
• In-Kind Gifts
• ImpactFUL
• Purses with Purpose
• Give them a Meal

Products and services

• Bags of Love Carefully curated donation bags containing new toiletries, hygiene products, makeup, accessories, journals, puzzles, candles, and personalised handwritten notes, designed to provide women and children escaping domestic violence with essential items and emotional reassurance. Distributed free of charge to refuges across Victoria, with each bag supported by a $225 donation.
• In-Kind Gifts Program Program accepting tangible donations of new toiletries, clothing, personal care items, and comfort essentials (journals, stationery, manicure sets, makeup, jewellery, hand cream, candles, crossword books, craft sets, colouring books, jigsaw puzzles) that go directly into Bags of Love for women escaping domestic violence.
• Workplace Volunteering Program Corporate volunteering program where businesses send employees to wrap and pack Bags of Love at organised sessions, designed to increase employee engagement, team building, and community ties while supporting women escaping domestic violence.
• Speakers Program Presentation service where founder Kathy Kaplan OAM and Impact representatives speak to businesses and community groups about domestic violence awareness, statistics, and how individuals can actively engage in prevention efforts.
• Schools Program Volunteering opportunities for high school students to participate in Wrap & Pack days, combining community service with educational discussions about domestic violence prevention and zero tolerance culture.
• ImpactFUL A free and safe well-being community space where women with shared experiences of domestic violence can connect and support each other through their healing journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000 Bags of Love delivered to women in need in past 12 months
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Bendigo BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024Bendigo Bank is shown as a sponsor in Impact's footer section. Sponsorship details not fully specified on the website.
• The Chocolate BoxminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006In 2006, The Chocolate Box generously provided Rocky Road chocolates for the original 100 gift boxes assembled by founder Kathy Kaplan and 12 friends. This partnership marked the beginning of Impact for Women.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Women's Refuge New Zealand: New Zealand's largest DV support organization providing refuge and crisis services. Similar mission and beneficiary focus to Impact for Women, but operates across the Tasman rather than in Victoria.
• WIRE Women: Victorian women's information and support service. Regional peer providing information, referral, and support to women — overlapping beneficiary base with Impact for Women in Victoria.

Broad incumbents

• Zonta International: Global service organization focused on empowering women through service and advocacy, including DV prevention. Comparable mission scope but operates internationally with a broader women-empowerment agenda.

Direct peers

• 1800RESPECT: National counselling and referral service for DV and sexual assault in Australia. Cited directly by Impact for Women as a crisis referral partner — operates in the same survivor support ecosystem.
• The Orange Door: Victorian family violence service hub providing intake, assessment, and specialist support. Impact for Women directs users to The Orange Door; serves the same Victorian DV survivor population.
• Safe Steps (Victoria): Victoria's 24/7 family violence response centre. Direct peer — same Victorian DV survivor beneficiary base as Impact; receives Impact's Bags of Love at refuges. Operates crisis intervention services that Impact explicitly directs users to.
• Full Stop Australia: National DV and sexual assault support organization in Australia. Comparable mission supporting DV survivors, with broader geographic reach than Impact for Women and a focus on crisis intervention and advocacy.

Emerging players

• Good360 Australia: Australian nonprofit redistributing surplus goods from businesses to charities. Comparable in-kind donation redistribution model — corporates donate product, it flows to welfare organizations serving vulnerable women.
• DV Safe Phone: US nonprofit providing refurbished mobile phones to DV survivors so they can safely call support services. Comparable niche material-aid-to-survivors model focused on enabling safety, similar grassroots volunteer-driven structure.

Others

• Jewish Care Victoria: Victorian Jewish community services organization. Founder Kathy Kaplan has deep ties to Melbourne's Jewish community; Jewish Care provides adjacent community welfare services to a partially overlapping community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PeopleAgainstDV
• Facebookfacebook.com/impactforwomen
• Instagraminstagram.com/impactforwomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impact-for-women-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Impact for Women